In the past, many physicians and dentists have recommended delaying needed dental treatment for up to six months because of a recent heart attack. A group of researchers from the University of Minnesota studied over 2,000 patients who suffered a recent heart attack, over 400 of whom suffered a repeat event while in the survey. The researchers found no relationship between dental treatment within 30 to 180 days after a heart attack and a repeat heart attack. Their article “Dental procedures and risk of experiencing a second vascular event in a Medicare population” was published in the November 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.
The conclusion: the traditional recommendation to delay needed dental treatment for as long as 6 months after a heart attack should be reassessed.
The article can be found at